Music-leaf turner.



M. J. DETWEILER.

, MUSIC LEAF TURNER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, i910.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Inventor Attorneys Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MERVYN J". DETWEILER, OF HELENA, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 EDWIN S. KELLOGG, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

Music-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed June 24., 1910. Serial No. 568,708.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MERVYN J. DET- WEILER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Music-Leaf Turner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to music leaf turn ers and its object is to provide a simple, compact and eflicient device of this character designed to be placed upon the music rack of a piano or similar instrument or on an ordinary rack.

Another object is to provide simple means for successively releasing leaf engaging devices whereby the leaves of sheet music can be turned one at a time.

A still further object is to provide means whereby the leaf turning devices can be positively locked against movement until freed by the releasing mechanism.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through the arms of the turning mechanism and showing the releasing mechanism in elevation, one of the positions of said mechanism being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a modified form of holding means for the arms of the turning mechanism. Fig. 1 is a section through the base of a modified form of leaf turner, the means for fastening the same to the front panel of a piano being shown in elevation, said panel being in section.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates the back of the device, the same being preferably formed of suitably ornamented wood and being provided along its lower portion with a transversely extending casing 2 having its front portion open. The top of the casing is provided with slots 3 extending thereinto from its front edge. Secured upon the bottom of the casing at the center thereof is an arbor 1 carrying a plurality of superposed disks 5 on each of which is loosely mounted a coiled spring 6 one end of the spring being fastened to the arbor. An arm 7 is pivotally mounted on the arbor between every two disks, the upper arm being disposed above the upper disk and each of these arms having the outer end of one of the springs 6 fastened to it. The lower face of each arm is beveled as shown at 8 in Fig. 2 and the outer end of each arm terminates in an upstanding finger 9. These fingers are disposed to project through the slots 3 and constitute the means for engaging the leaves to be turned, as will be hereinafter set forth.

Mounted within the casing are posts 10 to which are connected the ends of superposed guide rods 11. Each rod is preferably substantially semi-circular from end to end. These rods are disposed above and below the paths of arms 7 and are designed to support the arms so as to prevent them from sagging. A bracket 12 is located within the casing adjacent one of the posts 10 and has outstanding hooks 13 each of which is provided with a beveled head designed to engage and hold one of the arms 7 against the tension of its spring.

J ournaled within the casing and adjacent the hooks 13 is a shaft 14: carrying a lifting device 15 in the form of a cam and secured to this shaft is a ratchet wheel 16 designed to be engaged by a spring pressed dog 17 pivoted to a lever 18. This lever is fulcrumed on the shaft 14 and is supported in normal position by a spring 19. A stop 20 is disposed beneath the lever and is designed to limit the downward movement thereof so that the ratchet 16 will be moved one tooth at a time.

When it is desired to use the device the same is placed with casing 52 lowermost, upon the music rack of a piano or other instrument after which the fingers 9 are swung to the right and against the tension of their springs until they strike the beveled heads 13 over which they are sprung so as to be locked in position at the right. The sheets to be turned are placed upon the top of the casing 2 and one linger 9 is placed behind each sheet. V! hen it is desired to turn the first sheet, lever 18 is depressed and this will cause the dog 17 to pull on ratchet 1G sufficiently to muse the lifting device 15 to raise the lower arm 7 out of engagement with its hook 13. Said arm and its finger will then be promptly swung to the left of the casing by its spring (5 and the sheet behind which the finger has been placed will be turned to the left thereby. The next leaf can be turned in the same manner by again depressing lever 18. This will produce suflicient movement of the lifting device 15 to cause it to raise the next arm 7 out of engagement with its hook. This step by step movement of the lifting device in an upward direction can be continued until all of the arms have been swung to the left of the device whereupon the same can be reset in the manner described.

A deflecting strip 21 is preferably located adjacent the free end of the dog so that by pulling upward on lever 18 the dog will ride upon the end of said strip and be raised out of engagement with the ratchet wheel. The ratchet wheel and the lifting device are therefore left free to return to their initial positions, when the arms 7 are swung there against during the resetting of the device. In order that the ratchet wheel may be prevented from moving backward under the weight of the lifting device 15 any suitable means such as a spring 22 may be provided to frictionally engage and hold it. Instead of providing separate hooks such as inclicated at 13 holding lugs 23 may be formed upon the guide strips 11.

The device shown in Fig. 1 and which utilizes a straight back is designed to be placed on those racks having inclined rests butwhere the rests are in a horizontal plane, as in some upright pianos, etc, the back is preferably inclined in relation to the casing as shown at 2st in Fig. 4-. lVith this construction suitable means are preferably employed for fastening the device in position so that it can not slip off of the rest or ledge upon which it is placed. @ne of these means consists of a clip or bracket 25 designed to en gage the front panel 26 of a piano, said clip being adjustably secured to casing 27 by means of a bolt or other suitable device mounted within a slot 28.

As shown at 29 in Fig. 1 one or more of the fingers 9 may be provided with clips, each clip preferably consisting of two pivotally connected spring pressed jaws 30. These clips are designed to be placed in engagement with loose leaves so that the same will be positively moved with the fingers.

hat is claimed is 1. In a leaf turner the combination with spring actuated arms; of separate means for holding the respective arms, and means movable upwardly with a stepped movement for successively raising the arms from their respective holding means.

In a leaf turner the combination with superposed spring actuated pivoted arms, of separate means for holding the respective arms against movement, a pivoted releasing device. and intermittently operated means for swinging said device upwardly with a stepped movement, and against the arms to successively raise the arms from their respective holding means.

3. In leaf turner the combination with superposed spring actuated pivoted arms; of separate means for holding the respective arms against the tension of their springs. a pivoted lifting device, oscillatory means for moving said device upwardly step by step to successively contact with and raise the arms from their res ')ectivc holding means during such movement and means for holding the lifting device against return movement.

4-. In a leaf turner the combination with superposed spring actuated pivoted arms; of arcuate guides for the respective arms, separate means for holding the respective arms, and a lifting device disposed to sue cessively contact with and raise the arms from their respective holding devices, said lifting device being movable upwardly step by step while successively raising the arms.

5. in a leaf turner the combination with superposed spring actuated pivoted arms; of separate means for engaging the respective arms to hold them against movement, a pivoted lifting device, and manually operated means for intermittently moving said device upwardly step by step to successively contact with and raise the arms from their respective holding means during such movement.

6. In a leaf turner the combination with spring actuated leaf engaging members and separate means for holding the members set of a ratchet wheel, a depressible member, a dog carried thereby and engaging and dis posed to actuate the ratchet wheel, a lifting device movable with the ratchet wheel and disposed to bear against and disengage one of the leaf engaging members during each downward movement of the depressible member.

7. In a leaf turner the combination with spring actuated leaf engaging members and separate means for holding the members set of a ratchet wheel, a depressible member, a

dog carried thereby and engaging and dis- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as posed to actuate the ratchet Wheel, a lifting my own, I have hereto affixed my signature 10 device movable With the ratchet Wheel and in the presence of two Witnesses.

disposed to bear against and disengage one 5 of the leaf engaging members during each MERVYN DETWEILER' downward movement of the depressible Witnesses: member, and means for deflecting the dog TI-Ios. CHANDLER, out of engagement With the ratchet Wheel. CHAs. S. HALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

